Roman Reigns undoubtedly nails the ‘tough guy’ persona in the promotion. While there have been numerous wrestlers who have stood in his spot, Reigns doesn’t back off from justifying why he is the undisputed champion. However, his ‘toughness’ can be rooted back to a time even before The Tribal Chief gimmick. When Reigns was none other than the ‘Big Dog’, he was still a fierce character.
But despite how he portrays himself, Roman Reigns wasn’t always as tough. Turns out, he required a bit of help while executing his ‘Big Dog’ entrances. As we expose his big kept secret today, your opinion of him may change soon.
Roman Reigns had to protect himself from self-harm
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
If you have been following WWE for a while, you will remember Reigns’ entrance from 2015 to 2020. Although The Big Dog lacked the ‘boos’ and ‘awes’ from fans that The Tribal Chief gets, it was still an entrance to pay attention to. There was a certain part in his entrance where Reigns would punch the ground below in a feat of strength. But there is more to this entrance than meets the eye.
According to reports, it has been revealed that for the ground punching parts, Reigns would use cushion pads. The pads could have been placed on the ground in a specific spot prior to his entrance, then the wrestler would have needed to walk up to the spot and execute his stylish ground punch.
While for fans, it was a great display of strength; the reality was something else entirely. Underneath his tough persona, there was a man trying to save himself from a possible injury.
Roman Reigns used to protect his fist with a cushion pad during his Big Dog entrances 👊 pic.twitter.com/3J5mDXlZHk
— WrestlingWorldCC (@WrestlingWCC) September 20, 2023
As odd as dropping kayfabe may sound for The Tribal Chief, it isn’t the first time that he has done so. A few months ago, his mini vlog on TikTok went viral, in which fans saw how he usually is backstage when not adorning his wrestling gimmick.
Roman Reigns’ real side wins hearts
In a Twitter video posted on a fan page, Roman Reigns’ mini TikTok vlog went viral. In the video, he can be seen acquainting fans with his backstage routine before entering the arena. Since it was pertaining to his non-kayfabe side, fans were naturally intrigued to get to know him better.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Fans were happy seeing his routine before destroying his opponent in the ring. In contrast to his wrestling gimmick, Reigns was cheerful and chirpy. He even complimented a legendary referee for having good hair while joking about hitting him inside the ring.
So, even though he does resort to his non-kayfabe side when fans aren’t noticing, it appears that they tend to like him for who he is.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Do you prefer being oblivious to a wrestler’s non-kayfabe side? Or do you like getting to know the magic behind their personas?
WATCH THIS STORY:- Dwayne Johnson’s Daughter Simone to The Undertaker’s Daughter Kaia – Meet Daughters of Top WWE Stars